1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a magnetic reproducer and a magnetic reproduction method, and more particularly, is suitably applied to a video tape recorder incorporated with a camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital video (DV) systems (IEC 61834 helical scan digital video tape cassette recording system using 6.35 mm magnetic tape for consumers (525/60, 625/50, 1125/60 and 1250/50 systems) are utilized as recording systems for digital video tape recorders, and video tape recorders incorporated with cameras and installation type video tape recorders have recently been offered for use with the DV system.
A magnetic tape which is used in the DV system (hereinafter referred to as a DV tape) has a width of 6.35 mm (=xc2xc inch) which is narrower than a width (8 mm) of a magnetic tape which is used in an analog 8 mm recording system (IEC 60843 helical scan video tape cassette recording system using 8 mm magnetic tape for consumer) (hereinafter referred to as an 8 mm video tape) adopted widely as a recording system for conventional analog video tape recorders.
In spite of this narrow magnetic tape, the DV system has a merit that it is capable recording signals with high qualities and for a long time since it compressed video-audio signals to be recorded and records the signals at a high density.
Though the DV system is not interchangeable with the analog 8 mm system, it is considered that the video-audio signals can be recorded with high qualities and for a long time if video-audio signals in the data format of the DV system can be recorded, for example, on the 8 mm video tape which is wider than the DV tape.
In this case, it is considered that, if such a video tape recorder which performs recording and reproducing can be manufactured, for example, by utilizing production equipment and various kinds of devices for the current analog 8 mm system, a video tape recorder can be composed inexpensively while effectively utilizing resources.
In addition, in this case, it is further considered that, if the video tape recorder can reproduce the video-audio signals recorded on the 8 mm video tape by the analog 8 mm system, without failure, the video tape recorder can have high functional performance as a product.
In view of the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide a magnetic reproducer and a magnetic reproduction method which are capable of enhancing the functional performance.
The foregoing object and other objects of the invention have been achieved by the provision of a magnetic reproducer in which a gap width between magnetic heads is set wider than a first track width for a first recording system and is set narrower than a second track width for a second recording system which is wider than that for the first recording system.
As a result, the magnetic reproducer is capable of reproducing information recorded on a magnetic tape in both the first recording system and the second recording system.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a magnetic reproduction method which reproduces information from a magnetic tape using magnetic heads having a gap width which is wider than the first track width for the first recording system and narrower than the second track width for the second recording system which is wider than that for the first recording system.
As a result, the magnetic reproduction method makes it possible to reproduce information which is recorded on the magnetic tape in both the first recording system and the second recording system.
The nature, principle and utility of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals or characters.